Unordinary Sunday
by Silver Miko
Summary: Modern AoshiXMisao It's just a Sunday like any other for book store clerk Misao, infatuated with her favorite customer Aoshi, but with a book, a meddling rooster, and green tea an ordinary Sunday may yet prove to be unordinary.


Author's Note: Random little thing to just write something. Modern AU.

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Unordinary Sunday

Silver Miko

Modern AU Aoshi x Misao

So it was becoming an addiction. Makimachi Misao didn't care, really she didn't! As she cradled the phone to her ear, she couldn't help the grin on her face as she took in the rich, deep voice on the other end.

"Um, I'm pretty sure it was on the inventory list when I checked this morning so we should have a copy if you want to come in today?"

A pause. Always a thoughtful pause.

"Sure. I'll be in shortly."  
"All right then, Aoshi-san! I'll see if I can find it and set it aside for you."

"That's very nice of you, Misao-san."

"Hey, you're my favorite customer after all, just don't tell my boss okay?"

"Very well then."

"Okay, see you later!"

She hung up the phone and spun around in her computer chair with wheels behind the average sized wooden check out desk and hopped out of it, walking towards the end of the small bookshop. She had been working at the small, independant bookshop since she was in college, having stated upon applying for a job to her boss, commonly known as Tsunan, that she always wanted to work in a small bookstore.

It took Tsunan a month after hiring her to learn Misao was full of such whims and delightfully off-beat quirks. Sometimes she would come in wearing what could only be called some sort of mock schoolgirl outfit with a man's tie and tall knee-high boots and play Rennaissance period music, or some days make a table featuring books on the Tudor dynasty of England on a Teusday and exclaim to Tsunan it was a "Tudor Tuesday". At first he was unsure of his employee, but he soon discovered she was naturally charming and an exceptional people person which meant people patronized his shop more frequently to chat with Misao or have her recommend a book.

She was a nice balance to his motley crew of workers- himself, his always broke and gambling addicted best buddy Sanosuke, and the always surly and rarely sober Hiko (who wasn't the greatest at customer service but was quite good at thwarting shoplifters and taking care of the "idiotic loitering non-buyers" as he called them).

Perusing the shelves, she found the title in question and brought it back up front with her and frowned as she noticed Sanosuke occupying her seat.

"Hey, Rooster! Out of my chair!"

"Why? You're the one who got up." Sanosuke replied, arms crossed and shifting the chair side to side in amusement.

Misao rolled her eyes and went behind him, grabbing the back of the chair and trying to force him out.

"Come on! Aren't you supposed to be finishing inventory?"

"I'm taking a break."

"You just got here an hour ago."

"So?"

Misao sighed and smacked the back of his head lightly, returning to the book and marking it with a post-it note for Aoshi.

"What's that?"

"A book. You know, those paper things we kind of sell?" she replied sarcastically.

"I _know_ that. But why did you pull it? Reading on the job again."

"Oh yes, heaven forbid I read...in a bookstore!"

"Really Weasel, you're bad at being evasive."

"It's for a customer who called looking for it."

"Oh. Well then why didn't you just say so when I asked?"

"Because." she said, sticking out her tongue.

Sanosuke walked over to stand next to her, looking at the book.

"'The Transistion of the Tokugawa Shogunate to the Meiji Era'? Hm. Oh ho, well look who its reserved for. Shinomori Aoshi, your favorite customer."

"I don't play favorites. I have no idea what you're getting at!" she said, running quickly to reclaim her chair.

"Oh please, Makimachi, you've got it so bad for that guy. No wonder you've managed to resist the Sagara charm." he said, cracking his knuckles.

"That and you have a girlfriend who I know you wouldn't cheat on because she'd castrate you. And you have the IQ of a turnip."

"That's harsh. Can't it at least be equal to a carrot? They taste better."

Misao snorted and went back to what she was doing before Aoshi had called- reading. There was truth in Sanosuke's mockery, she did read on the job, which was part of the reason she wanted to work there. Sure most of her co-eds had aspired to be doctors and lawyers or in business but when asked, she replied- "Well I'd like to work in a nice, little bookshop and read while I work on writing and getting my masters."

A lot of people thought she was sort of nuts, others thought it was sweet.

Misao saw it as choosing to do what she wanted rather than do a job she didn't like. Sure the pay wasn't terrific, but she worked a lot and didn't mind and submitted pieces of writing to be published which brought it some (albeit small) extra income.

"So you going to go back to the inventory or what?" Misao asked, picking her book back up and resuming her reading.

"Eventually. So what _are_ you reading today?"

Misao didn't look up as she replied.

"_Sense and Sensibility_. It's a literary classic, you'd be bored with it."

"Sounds like it. Well have fun with that!" he saluted, heading for the Human Sexuality section, which was not a huge surprise.

It was, in short, an ordinary Sunday.

He was, as ever, punctual and did indeed arrive shortly after their phone conversation. He was dressed in black trousers which always made his long legs seems impossibly longer, a dark blue sweater, and a beige collared jacket. It was the only item in his wardrobe that was beige it seemed. Misao had seemed to make it an additional curriculum study in the wardrobe of Shinomori Aoshi.

She set her book down and worked her best smile to her face.

"Timely as always!" she said with just enough cheer, not too much cheer.

"Aa." he simply replied and Misao scurried to grab his book for him.

"Here you go." she said, as she handed him the book and watched him examine it.

She saw Sano make some type of charades a little ways behind Aoshi's back that looked like kissy face and hugging motions and she manged to glare at him quickly without Aoshi noticing.

"I'll take it, please."

"Sure thing!" Misao said, taking the book and ringing it up and bagging it for him, "Okay all set! Anything else today?"

"No, thank you Misao-san, you're always very helpful."

"Oh I try!"

"I will take a look while I have the time and am here."

She nodded and watched him go, hoping her cheeks weren't too flushed.

If only she could just muster up the courage to ask him to get a coffee or something!

_One day, Makimachi, when you grow the backbone for it._

Aoshi glanced over the small historical fiction section, when someone stopped to stand next to him. It was the spike-haired man who worked there as well, Sagara was his surname he believed.

"Listen, at first it was kind of funny and cute but now it's getting rediculous. In case you haven't noticed, Misao-chan likes you."

Aoshi looked at the man, turned his gaze towards the front to Misao, and then back.

"Won't she be upset you've told me this?"

"Pissed off and ready to kill me for sure! Problem is, she won't say a word to you which is weird cuz she's normally not so shy. Ever."

"I see."

"Not that it's my business but you don't happen to like her back do you?"

The fact that Sanosuke already made it his business did not escape Aoshi. What was he supposed to say? Misao was a cute, friendly girl with a very bright smile? That he could admit to himself at least he liked his short conversations with her when he stopped in?

"She is a nice girl."

"Nice girl? I suppose that's a good start. You should just ask her out already so she'll stop being such a basketcase...well over you anyway. She likes the green tea at the place next door, for the record."

"My business here is done and so is yours. Good day." Aoshi simply said and left the bookstore leaving Sano to scratch his head.

"Only trying to help."

He just hoped Misao wouldn't find out or else he'd be found dead under a pile of books.

Aoshi stood outside and once more glanced briefly back inside to the girl behind the counter. She was cute and friendly and bright and very much a nice girl. Most people were put off by his seemingly cold demeanor, a little wary, but not her. She never hesitated to interact with him. Sure some girls would approach him, but then almost always withdrew.

He hadn't been in a relationship in years, the last time he had a date was probably eleven months prior and a one-time thing. He wasn't the type to seek out women, perfectly comfortable to let things happen on their own. He mostly focused on his work, owning a training hall specializing in kenpo and sword training that had been in his family since the Tokugawa Shogunate. Or he read.

Admittedly, he read more frequently after meeting Misao's accquaintance. If he wanted to talk to her at all, he had to visit the bookstore and felt inclined to buy a book or two. He enjoyed their brief conversations and had always assumed she regarded him as she would any other customer.

Until today.

Perhaps it was time for he, who was content to let thing happens, acted forward for once.

He walked over to the coffee place next door and went inside, purchasing two cups of tea and went back into the bookstore.

Misao was seated and reading a novel when he came up to the counter.

"Misao-san, would you like to join me tea?" he asked, thankful he was never inclined to stutter or sound nervous.

She looked up and blinked surprised.

"You want...to have tea?"

"Yes, if you're free."

"I'm not. I mean, I can't leave the store."

"Oh."

She looked rather distressed for a moment and then snapped her fingers.

"I have an idea. Sano, watch the front!"

Aoshi followed Misao towards the back of the store, where she paused in the small section of children's books and sat down at one of the small tables designated for children to read and gestured for him to sit as she set the two paper cups of tea down. Aoshi hesitated for a moment, for it would look quite a rediculous sight for an over six foot tall man sitting cramped in a little chair, but then moved to sit and took his cup of tea.

"So how did you know I liked tea?" she asked, taking a sip.

"Your friend told me."

She almost spat out her tea and painfully swallowed.

"Sano did what?! Oh I'll kill that stupid rooster of a man."

"He said as much."

She blushed and cleared her throat. She could be mad later, she wasn't going to ruin this oppurtunity.

"So Aoshi-san, what other kinds of books do you like to read?"

And just like that, on a supposedly ordinary Sunday, something wonderfully unordinary happened thanks to a meddling rooster who regardless was still in for it.

I really...think I had a seeming good idea here and now not so sure, oh well. So it goes!


End file.
